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Showing content with the highest reputation on 19/04/25 in Posts
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Just got home from my Spacewasters gig at The Hope & Anchor, Islington. 4 band bill, in an 80 capacity venue, luckily a dedicated storage area for gear. We headlined and played well, though it was soooooo hot down there, even setting up had us all sweating out half a stone. Didn’t bother with a soundcheck but the sound man was very good and kept the volume to reasonable levels. I played my black Fender JMJ Mustang into my Behringer BDI21, DI taken from that to FOH, and then into a small 100 watt Ashdown combo of some sorts for stage volume which was plenty. Due to my plantar fasciitis rather than DMs I wore my Skechers trainers. Edit - Review now online, in punktuationmag: The Spacewasters are approaching their 25th anniversary, and over the years, they’ve become really damn good musicians. Maybe that’s not a very punk thing to say, but as their guitarists sprinkle frenzied solo magic on the likes of ‘Leave Me Alone’ and ‘Devil’s Bones’, we have to be thankful that they’ve chosen to channel their talents not into tedious 20 minute jazz-prog suites, but into shit-kickin’ street-level punk rock n’ roll. Add the larger than life presence (and sense of humour) of frontman Mick, and you have a recipe for one hell of a good time. Check out their new album ‘The 7-Legged Groove Machine’, it does exactly what it says on the tin, and it does it very well.17 points
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A twofer for the Glam Lads this week, played to a group from Mencap Gateway on Thursday night, we love doing this and the clients always love the show. We normally only do one per year but we’ve already agreed a return in December. Last night was a private party in a local WMC, we normally avoid private jobs as they rarely work for us but the couple who booked us have been to a few gigs and convinced us. Surprisingly it was a great night with enthusiastic dancers all the way through both spots. Resting these aching bones now until next Saturday for a more normal gig at the Pen Nook in Deepcar north side of Sheffield. Oh….red, white and blue sparkle Converse.13 points
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An interesting one last night, the 'occasional' blues band playing as the opener in a three band bill in a pub! The headliner was a goth band, with an original indy type band in the middle. Essentially the gig was everything we would normally avoid - too many bands with nothing in common, playing in a pub with not enough space for not much money. Originally we thought that we were being offered a normal pub gig to cover another band pulling out, but it transpired that we were part of a multi band bank holiday event. Anyway, the blues band doesn't play enough gigs (due to a couple of members being very busy with other bands), so it was nice to play live together again - Facebook had just informed us that our last gig was a year ago! The gig was pretty good, we sounded as if the last show was a week ago and went down really well. All the people involved were great, even if there was a bit of a clash of genres. Every band used my cab, which wasn't what I originally intended. In another thread, some people were saying that they never let anyone else touch their bass. I'm usually pretty relaxed about that (to a point), as you have to be a bit of a d1ck to damage a FSO type bass. I'm more bothered about other people using amps, as you can do damage if you don't know what you're doing with absolutely no ill intent, as the girl playing bass for the goth band nearly did at the soundcheck when she plugged her amp into my Berg cab while my amp was already running and then wondered why it wasn't working! I quickly unplugged my amp (a MB LM3) and then adjusted the gain on her TE Elf so that everything was OK. I took my amp off after our slot and let the middle band use the Elf, just in case!11 points
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So Ive put this together for the U2 tribute Body was ex Chris Cross Neck from Aliexpress Pickup Tonerider Cts pots, orange drop cap I've literally screwed it together and tuned it up Sounds like a P bass Ive even wired it up myself and it works9 points
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I recently joined an Alanis Morissette tribute act, Jagged Little Alanis. First full set was last weekend at the Essex Arms in Brentwood - great little venue. The amazing fella who did sound videos everything. Here’s me trying to be Flea 🙄9 points
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Now £595. Gorgeous Charvel San Dimas Pro-mod bass in absolutely as-new condition complete with hang tags and tuner prophylactics! This bass has an absolutely stunning roasted maple neck that plays itself, a lovely looking mahogany body and a set of classic Dimarzio PJ pickups. It's worth noting that the early versions of this bass had some electronic issues but they have rectified this with later models, this one included. The preamp is silent in operation and is really musical sounding. The bass reminds of a Spector tonally 👌🏻 Collection from Margate or I can post as I have the original packaging. Note: It does not come with a case.8 points
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I'm lost for words. So sad and a real loss. May I be so bold as to quote the final line of a beautiful post to Sam by @Dad3353 in the depression topic, a line which I think would echo all of our thoughts... "Thank you for your participation on this Forum; we are all the better for it."8 points
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Really good nick Rick (I'm a poet). Some surface scratches on rear but no dings or meaningful dents anywhere. I added the treble pickup bezel. Comes with original pickup cover, plus original hard case, polishing cloth, key etc. Its too heavy for me at 9.6 pounds (4.35kg), albeit pretty standard for a Rick. 48 hour courier included or collection in public space in SW13 London (Barnes) only.6 points
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I've been on the hunt for a big Acoustic rig for a long time, something like a 360 or 370 head into the matching cabinet with an 18" speaker in the weird, back facing configuration. They seem to be as rare as hen's teeth in Europe, so I've been using an Acoustic 136 combo as my main amp for a while now. Then the successor to those two big Acoustic rigs popped up on this forum. So now I'm the proud owner of a massive, impractical but wonderful sounding Acoustic 320/408 combo thanks to @Skinner. The 408 has four 15" speakers, and it's another of Acoustic's unusual configurations - two conventionally mounted, forward facing speakers, plus two mounted horizontally to face each other in the middle portion of the cab. The beast had it's first full rehearsal this week, and the most interesting thing is how much bottom end the cabinet chucks out. It seems to generate some unusually low frequencies that are audible and sit perfectly under the two lead guitar sounds in our post punk/new wave influenced outfit. Meanwhile, it also puts out the middly clank sound of a Rickenbacker that sits in a tonal gap that the lead guitars also don't occupy. First gig with it at London's Lexington next week - all I have to do is work out how on earth I'm going to transport it to the venue!6 points
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Well I’ve spent the last year or so changing my technique on my fretting hand, always used to do the thumb-wrap over the neck and now arthritis has set in that hurts, so now trying to play with thumb straight on back of neck. Seems to have worked, something I’m rather pleased about.6 points
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Provisional Otis Jay Blues Band line-up for a gig on 1st May at Forest Arts Centre, New Milton. All very welcome! We sold out last year, so 🤞 Singer and harmonica player are on loan, but like Marcus Rashford are playing up a storm.🎤🎺 It will be this lineup’s second and last gig. There are three Dave’s, and my second name is David. On 2nd May, the remaining trio will be going forward with… shock horrow … a girl singer. Watch this space!5 points
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They're few and far between for me, too! For every gig like this, there's fifty "Why do I bother?" pub gigs... something most Basschatters can probably relate to!5 points
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I noticed there weren't any videos online yet documenting the changes to the Octabvre design, so i made a quick and dirty video to show the sounds.4 points
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Maybe a little known fact, but the Marshall factory (Milton Keynes, Bucks) has a small 'museum' of amps, guitars etc in and around reception. Although it is primarily for the guitar nerds, in amongst the Les Pauls and Bluesman amps are a few pieces of Bass memorabilia, with pride of place going to the irredeemably individual Lemmy.4 points
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OK mine turned up today ! Superbly finished, the colour is much nicer than the photos on Andertons website. Setup was a bit shonky, it needed the saddles lowering considerably (truss rod was spot on) as well as pickups actually screwed in properly, other than that - good. Couple of fret edges needed a little tiny sand, but overall - this is a fantastic bass. The switches are single coil (bridge coil for each pickup), and series. Weighs in at 9lb 4oz, so definitely not a light weight but nothing crazy. Sounds great - bargain. May end up saving me money as it could very well replace something I have far more expensive.4 points
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Another shout out for Ishibashi. I’ve imported a few Japanese oddities from them. Clear communications; honest descriptions; fast dispatch and secure packaging. Never had a problem. I wouldn't hesitate if it is an instrument that is a Japan-only model.4 points
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Good morning, I'm planning to bring my ACG J-Type 4-string (0096), ACG Finn Fretless 4-string (0122), ACG Harlot 6-string (0240), ESP Ltd B-208FM 8-string, Michael Kelly Firefly 4-string acoustic, Chapman Grand Stick 10-string (deep matched reciprocal tuning), and an Ashbory Mk2 4-string. I'll either bring the Phil Jones Bass BG-110 Bass Cub Combo ... or I might go wild and load up my Gallien Krueger stuff (2 x MB500s along with a 115MBX and 210MBX cabinets) and my pedal board. 😱 Oh, and a folding sack trolley!4 points
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well done mate, Van Morrison is normally known as difficult and cantankerous4 points
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Agree with the thoughts above, mod it, play and enjoy it, and def keep the original parts.4 points
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4 points
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You own it. Do whatever it takes to make it the instrument you actually want.4 points
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I cheated 😃 Dropped a fairly high output Warman JazzBar in place. Then cut a PG to hide it.3 points
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My plans have changed - I have ditched a conflicting event (long story) - so I will now attend and I will bring some kit. I'll probably bring my ACG 4 and Manton 6.3 points
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I listen to Rush a lot, when I was at school but never listened to the bass particularly maybe it's time to do Rush3 points
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I'm sure some purists will be throwing rocks at their computer screens, shouting "Heretic!", but for me, an instrument is for playing. If your reversible mods make you like the playability/sound more, then go ahead and mod it and play the heck out of it!3 points
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3 points
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I have to round off this thread by saying a big thank you to Carl (Dudgeman), who, in a quite epic piece of basschatting has very kindly printed me some truss rod covers on his 3D printer. Top notch work sir!3 points
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Great gig. Packed it out, crowd loved it. First time I've played with a real Hammond master AND horns. Loved it. All originals, mixture of Blues, jazz, funk and a little rocky/pop.3 points
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NOT LAST NIGHT! I played a gig at the O2 Ritz in Manchester (My old stomping ground) a few weeks ago with The Groove Chorus - a 40 odd piece choir playing fun/funky/cheesy/disco/pop stuff. I used to go clubbing at The Ritz when I was a kid (Monday night Alternative (Goth) night and Wednesday night student (Indie) night) and I've seen loads of big gigs here (Including Chas & Dave!) so... this was a big deal for me! It was a long day, got there about 1 for setup, tech sortouts etc then a full run through... knackering but good fun! Eight piece band including a four piece horn section - we had a monitor engineer which hasn't happened to me for a long time. The MD, guitarist and drummer were guys I've worked with before and not seen for ages, which was nice; the keyboard player was a great bloke and really good laugh - it's always nice to meet someone who hasn't heard any of my jokes. The dress code was 'Denim on Denim on Denim' (NO black clothes allowed!) so I had to buy a pair of blue denim jeans - I don't own that many clothes that aren't black... It was as camp as a row of pink tents (at christmas) - we did 'I Will Survive'... how camp do you want it?! The gig was FANTASTIC - the place was packed, the choir sounded brilliant, the crowd loved it, the band were great, I played pretty well... a great night all round. Certainly the biggest gig I've played for a while. The organisers (and the rest of the band) said some nice things about my playing, which was gratifying and I've since been asked to play the next one, so... a good nights work! (Decent payer as well) Highlight was probably 'Groove is in the heart' - who wouldn't want to play 'that' riff through an ENORMOUS PA while hundreds of people dance to it?! Played the StingRay -> Secret Weapons board (Thumpinator ->VTDI) -> MB802 -> ENORMOUS PA Shoes were peach pink sparkle Converse (not pictured) Video- https://www.facebook.com/reel/10050815876919043 points
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Hello All, I recently bought a 78 Fender P bass which seems like a nice instrument. As far as I can tell it’s pretty much original although the chrome is disappearing from the volume and tone controls and the electrics need looking at, nothing drastic just some buzzing which might indicate a loose connection of some sort. I have been mulling over changing a few things like the pots and wiring, possibly the black pick guard as I much prefer a tort one with a sunburst finish, and maybe even the pick ups. I appreciate that most people will buy an old instrument and keep it as close to original as possible, but I’m not that precious and would like the instrument to play and sound as good as it possibly can. Anything I change will be kept in case I decide to sell the bass on at some point and I suppose if it is ever sold then a new owner could reverse any changes that I might decide to make. Any advice or thoughts please?2 points
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Hi every one. On offer elsewhere now so reduced to £390 Bass Only. Prices now FIRM. Specification screenshot photos now added ( forgot to include! ) Photo added of narrow epoxy resin bridge plate curve correction ( cosmetic only) £390 for just the bass ( plus cheap new gig bag and UK mainland delivery ) £405 with your choice of D’Addario nickels or steels 45 65 85 105 which fit this bass through body. Let me know if you would like the spare bridge pickup mentioned below , add £35 so £440 gets you Bass, Strings, spare Bridge Pickup. ( V Slight wear to current cover under E and A Strings. Minimal) I bought this 2020 beast of a bass from Mudpup late last year and absolutely love the variation of tones achievable with the Bartolini MK1 pickups ( they are both reverse P pups inside the soapbar covers ) and 3 band Bartolini MK1 pre amp. Electronics , truss rod and hardware all working as they should. Specifications listed in the photos, also some Cort site info there. The 2 way switch is for Active/Passive - In passive mode the battery still powers the pickups signal but bypasses the 3 band and gives a more organic tone than the active 3 band pre amp can produce. So it is indeed the passive tone of the pickups but then powered to the jack socket. People often state that the passive tone is the “ same as active with the BMTreble controls at centre detent “ - it’s just their opinion but it doesn’t describe how good the passive sound is and misleads people to thinking you might as well not bother flicking the switch at all. It definitely is ! Upgraded previously so it sports a set of silver satin headed USA made Hipshot Ultralite tuners AND matching Detuner.( Check out BD tuner prices , 180 for these 3 and the Xtender vs standard non usa licensed set approx 80 , then sell those. ) These get the weight down to 3.96kg , 8lbs 12oz ( photo of scales ). I’ve since stumbled on another bass , the same model but a few ounces lighter. Definitely in the Senior age group I just prefer a lighter bass these days and , playing at home only , I can grab a Fiver rather than detune (and have to learn a song another way) so someone else can make better use of this upgraded tuner set. I can easily remove the silver fretboard markers and black ones which cover the original inset abalone ones which are shown in some of the pics. Let me know. I’ve made two cosmetic renovations to this bass which look neat and blend nicely with it’s rugged blue/black/ hippy purpley flamed looks. I used acrylic paints to go over the body top edge , at the forearm rest area which was noticeably rubbed pale ( photo). So it was the finish rubbed off rather than any wood wear. Body edge just south of the bridge too. Pretty good match and a final matte acrylic lacquer coat so this is durable and , being water based, you or I can reverse this finish with some rubbing with a damp piece of cotton cloth. I know because I took 3 attempts to be happy with it ! 😁 It blends in fine , and your arm covers it when playing anyway. The Hipshot bridge’s base plate casting rear end curve was not symmetrical. Purely cosmetic again but it was driving me nuts so I used epoxy resin ( “Steel”) which worked a treat. Great adhesion to the metal and then easy to fine finish and shape. It’s only a small visible silver painted area and sits well with the other parts of the bridge. The correct shape now matches the body recess curve. See last photo (just added ) to show the dark grey small epoxy resin build before I silver painted it. Replaced the pickup screws and black dome headed machine screws which were worn. It’s loaded with D’Addario Pro Steels,only light use. There’s no visible fret wear and the 2020 spec Panga Panga ( a type of Wenge ) board has a good looking parallel grain all along it. Nice and dark. The only slight wear is under the E and D strings on the bridge pickup cover towards the neck side. I collected this bass from Mudpup and didn’t notice the cover wear until I got home so it’s not unsightly. The photo angle taken exaggerates the issue. Not uncommon when a raised pup is preferred ( Steel strings used too ) and I’ve seen it on a neck pickup before. I lowered the pickup a little and don’t play hard. No problem. These Bart covers are tough plastic and a good 2mm thick. I do have a spare used , unmarked and perfect working order bridge MK1 pickup (Bartolini label is T for treble) which you can have for £35 ( my cost price) which you could fit. That came from someone else’s A4 too. ( 108mm x 34mm) A very comfortable bass. Nice volute on the neck. 38mm at the nut. String spacing at saddles is just under 19 mm ( 56mm E to G centres ). No neck dive ( small head stock ) and the matte finish all over ( inc neck ) feels as cool as it looks. 😎 All very clean , so ready to pick up and play. UK mainland delivery included with Fedex. I’ll double box with inner and outer cardboard boxes or cheapo but new gig bag. Specification below after 3 photos. Later photos of bass on a towel are when I first received it and before I’d thought of painting over the worn areas, so you can see how the body edge was had a dark edge around the butt end. Wiring diagram for Sparkies, has A6 noted but the same set up. Bartolini MK1 pups and Pre. I have sets of either - D’Addario EXL165SL 45 65 85 105 Nickel plated round wounds or their Pro Steels EPS165 which also fit the bass through body. £420 with a spare set of those. The Pro Steels on it haven’t been used much and remember those USA Hip Shot Tuners and the free UK insured mainland delivery. Thanks for looking and have a good Easter. Quent2 points
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Bought this on a whim, and although it's a superb bass, I'm playing mainly short scale basses just now (and I need to finance a new build project!) Perfect condition, never gigged, stunning roasted maple neck, recently had pro setup, a whole lot of bass for the money. Perfectly balanced, weighs only 8.5lbs, has Dunlop Straplocks fitted, and currently has D'Addario Chromes on it, although can change to rounds if preferred. Local pickup preferred.2 points
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Sorry been away gigging, but I had played the HB for a while the other day. Quite impressed for the money, but rather expectedly its no Taylor, but it'll definitely does the trick, surprisingly loud for such a little bass.Few sharp frets but action is low, onboard eq and tuner are great. Strings are horrible. 7/10 from me.2 points
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I was suffering hand cramps at one stage when doing 2.5-3hr sets and decided to follow the "experts" guidance and use the thumb on the back of the neck as much as possible and i very rarely get any probs now. I do occasionally get lost in the moment and forget but i soon get back to it. Also tried keeping my hand in the 1st finger 1st fret, 2nd finger 2nd fret kind of thing mainly when i'm playing around the 5th fret areas as i struggle to do it nearer the nut having small hands. Dave2 points
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Its a new surround/bezel rather than a pickup. The bridge cover that Ricophobics are so critical of (despite the fact that its simple to remove) is now history.2 points
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Electrik Soup. Covers band. Yesterday we took ourselves down to Powerhouse in Addlestone so we could do some promo/show reel vids. Powerhouse staff were absolutely marvellous. I used Shuker's 2 and 3 through my Tecamp Puma 500 into my modified Tech Soundsytems 2x12. We were done by 5:30pm then all met up in the pub later. Fantastic end to a great day. Did my mental health lots of good 😊2 points
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Interesting, I 've been working against arthritis in my thumb for several years and that's something I've just started looking at. Meanwhile boswellia and/or ibuprofen can get me through the worst times, plus daily glucosamine & chondroitin.2 points
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Sorry to hear you’re having some health battles. Perhaps take the pressure off yourself and give yourself a specific length of time ‘off’. Put everything away for a month and tell yourself you’re not going to touch it but after the set time you’re going to crack on. In the meantime, consume as much music and bass related stuff as possible. I find watching old live gigs of bands and artists I love on YouTube makes me itch to pick up the instrument. You might find that the idea of not being able to play it combined with lots of inspiration to be a good reset.2 points
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@Andyjr1515, my 2013 Leduc U-Contrebasse 6 EUB has EMG pickups at the end of the fingerboard and adjustable via a locking screw. A bit like @RonC Safran bass (I owned one, but sold it as I'm Leduc aficionado and endorser).2 points
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The Nick Smith Midas charity build has taken another step forward with the high gloss finish being completed by T-Dog Customs. Toby is part of the Jaydee Bass family who all knew and loved Nick. Toby has very generously completed the finishing work on the body for free and we’re so pleased his work will be part of this special build 😊2 points
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Yes, I currently work for Mesa Boogie, I'm the principle engineer behind all of the Subway bass products but also handle various aspects of the guitar amp world as well. I work(ed) hand in hand with Randy, John, Jim and Doug, spent a lot of time with them, in addition to all the other folks. While I'm the "new guy", I've been designing Mesa for about 12 years, and prior to that I designed for Genz Benz/Fender for about 30 years, plus all my pro audio designs, so I've been around the block more than a few times. I've spent quite a bit of time quantifying guitar amp distortion characteristics (not surprising given our experience in the hard rock and metal world) and in general the desired distortion tones (especially lead) run between say 25% and 40%, but there are a whole family of tones that go beyond this too. Of course the amp is ~1/2 the instrument, the texture and tone of overdrive and distortion are a big part of the creative elements of "guitar tone", specifically how it sits in a mix. Randy's a very cleaver, creative guy, he quickly recognized what players were desiring and through a lot of work (including trial and error since there weren't many if any to copy from) developed the driven tones through cascading gain stages, then voicing these gain stages to be more and more useful for particular genres. If you were to study his products and their progression, you would see that he was constantly learning and evolving his designs as the music styles and player demand evolved. John has taken over the guitar amp design work now that Randy retired. At 80 years old, he had earned the opportunity for some new adventures that didn't involve day to day obligations. I have designed several solid state guitar amps as well, mostly with tube preamps, and I haven't run into any limitations of solid state power amps, especially when they were designed with guitar amplification in mind. Some of these turned into commercial products, some are just stepping stones to other implementations of technology. Hope this helps explain my perspective.2 points
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As part of Record Store Day, I played a church in my hometown. Not only did it mark 12 months of me being alcohol free but it marked the first time I played a venue that my Dad had played. No, we're not religious but it amazes me that in 37yrs of playing, it hasn't happened already. I had friends come over from Wales and down from Yorkshire and we were on it throughout. The playback confirmed it. It was promoting my friend Rich Davies and his band The Dissidents. Got to use my Blackstar head and cab with my trusty Ric 4003s. It sounded immense.2 points